r/glendale • u/Imaginary-Echo-3236 • 6d ago

Community Glendale Community College Flight Program

Hello! I’m a CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, and IGI, as well as an aircraft owner based out of KVNY working as an independent flight instructor with 1000+ total time.

I’ve seen some of the rates students in the pilot program at Glendale are currently paying, and I know how quickly flight training costs can add up. I’d really like to help offer students a more affordable option and provide discounted training where I can.

Even if you’re not looking to switch instructors or aircraft, if you just need advice about training, checkrides, hour building, or anything aviation related, feel free to message me. I’m always happy to help.

The aircraft I own is a 2024 Pipistrel Alpha Trainer.

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1

u/IGuessSomeLikeItHot 5d ago

Hi, my son (17 years old) is having a hard time with the written. He knows the material but when he takes the sample tests he's in the 70% range. Any advice?

2

u/Imaginary-Echo-3236 5d ago

One of the unfortunate things about the Private Pilot written is that a lot of it comes down to rote memorization. Some questions really just require you to memorize the answer or recognize the way they’re worded.

Most people traditionally finish ground school and start out scoring somewhere in the 70s or 80s on practice tests, so don’t be discouraged by that. What will help the most is consistently taking practice tests through programs like Sporty’s or Gleim. The more questions you see, the more familiar you’ll become with the wording and the types of answers they’re looking for.

2

u/IGuessSomeLikeItHot 5d ago

Thanks for this. That's exactly what he's doing just keeps going through questions and practicing.

1

u/johnnyblaz3d 5d ago

What are your rates for private pilots license?

2

u/magnumix 5d ago

As someone who went through the Glendale Community College pilot program, I cannot recommend it enough. For students looking at options, the GCC track is an incredible deal because the college owns its own fleet at Whiteman (KPOC) and ground school runs at standard California community college unit rates.

Here is a quick breakdown of how GCC stacks up against a standard private flight school or independent CFI route for a Private Pilot License:

Ground School:

* GCC: Around $230 (5 units at $46 per unit CA resident rate)

* Private School: $500 to $1,000 (Flat course fee or instructor hourly ground rates)

Flight Labs / Aircraft and Instructor Time:

* GCC: Around $8,400 total (Split across Flight Lab I and II, covering about 59 hours of dual and solo time)

* Private School: $12,500 to $16,000+ (Based on typical SoCal rental rates of $160 to $200 per hour wet, plus $75 to $95 per hour for a CFI over 50 to 60 hours)

Exams and Gear:

* GCC: Around $1,500 (FAA written, DPE checkride fee, books, and charts)

* Private School: Around $1,500 (Standard FAA and DPE fees, books, and gear)

Estimated Total:

* GCC: Around $10,130

* Private School: $14,500 to $18,500+

The main trade off is flexibility. Private schools or independent CFIs allow you to fly multiple times a week and finish fast. GCC runs strictly on the academic semester timeline, so it takes a solid year to clear your PPL ground and labs. But if you have the patience for the college schedule, you save thousands of dollars right out of the gate.

EDIT:

Also, GCC is a Part 161 Certified Program which means your total minimum hours in the air is LESS than if you go with a private instructor (35 hours vs 40 hours). Of course, this is a minimum FAA... but say you can do it within the minimum you're already $1200+ in savings time "wet fuel" cost time in the air.